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State guide

Microschools in Illinois

The legal pathways, operator types, funding programs and licensing agencies Illinois recognizes, with links to the state code and agency pages that set the rules.

Sources last checked August 26, 2026·15 sources, 12 from law and government·See every source

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Which operator model are you in Illinois?

Answer below. You get a ranked list of the operator models that fit here, what each would mean for you, and what would change the answer. A ranking of fits, not a licensing determination.

1. Who holds legal responsibility for each child's education?

Determines your operator model.

2. Ages served

Used for regulatory routing and market targeting.

3. Children with disabilities

May trigger state licensing requirements.

4. Days per week
5. Daily hours
6. Instructor credentials
7. Is your program's mission explicitly religious or faith-integrated?

Distinguishes a Religious Community School from a secular private school. Leave blank if it doesn't apply.

8. How will your program be accredited or authorized?

Operating under an established school's umbrella points to an Umbrella School Satellite. Leave blank if it doesn't apply.

9. How will your program be funded?

Some statutory micro-models require no tuition or no public funding. Leave blank if it doesn't apply.

10. How many students do you expect to serve?

Some statutory micro-models cap enrollment (for example, Iowa's 4-student Independent Private Instruction). Leave blank if it doesn't apply.

0 of 6 required questions answered.

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This is general information, not legal advice. We're not attorneys. Illinois law and agency rules change, and how they apply depends on how your school is built: the ages you serve, your hours, and who holds legal responsibility for each child's education. Before you open, read the state rules linked on this page, talk to the agencies that administer them, and get advice from a licensed attorney in Illinois.

Compulsory attendance

Legal pathways Illinois recognizes

How a family satisfies compulsory attendance outside public school. Your operator type maps to one of these, and the statute linked on each card is what defines it.

Home Instruction

105 ILCS 5/26-1 as interpreted by People v. Levisen, 404 Ill. 574, 90 N.E.2d 213 (1950)

Under People v. Levisen, a home where a child is taught the branches of education taught in the public schools, in English, by a competent teacher is legally a private school. The parent is the private-school operator and is legally responsible for the instruction.

Amounts, dates, thresholds and licensing status are left to the linked sources.

Read the source:isbe.net ↗ilga.gov ↗ilga.gov ↗ilhsa.org ↗iche.org ↗ilga.gov ↗

For founders

Operator types in Illinois

What each type is, and who to talk to. The requirements to hold each designation are set by the statute and agency pages linked on the card; read them before you choose.

Homeschool Cooperative

Because Illinois treats homeschools as private schools (Levisen), a homeschool cooperative is essentially a gathering of multiple parent-operated private schools that share space, curriculum, and instruction. Each family remains the legal operator of its own private school; your co-op is a shared-resource nonprofit, LLC, or informal association.

Amounts, dates, thresholds and licensing status are left to the linked sources.

Certified Tutor Practice

Amounts, dates, thresholds and licensing status are left to the linked sources.

Read the source:ilga.gov ↗

Religious Community School

Many Illinois religious schools pursue accreditation through their denominational body (e.g., ACCS, ACSI, Catholic diocesan accreditation) to satisfy internal standards rather than state requirements.

Amounts, dates, thresholds and licensing status are left to the linked sources.

Childcare Preschool Program

Amounts, dates, thresholds and licensing status are left to the linked sources.

Illinois Department of Early Childhood, Child Care LicensingWho licenses this type

Hybrid University Model

Families remain the legal private-school operators under People v. Levisen; the facility is a supplementary resource.

Amounts, dates, thresholds and licensing status are left to the linked sources.

Umbrella School Satellite

Amounts, dates, thresholds and licensing status are left to the linked sources.

Read the source:ed.gov ↗

Check before you open

Could childcare rules apply to you?

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In Illinois, childcare licensing is administered by Illinois Department of Early Childhood, Child Care Licensing. The governing rules are cited as 23 Ill. Adm. Code Part 2007 (Day Care Homes), Part 2009 (Group Day Care Homes), Part 2008 (Day Care Centers), Part 2005 (license-exempt care); authorized by 225 ILCS 10 (Child Care Act of 1969). Administered by the Illinois Department of Early Childhood since July 1, 2026; the former 89 Ill. Admin. Code Parts 406/408/407/377 were the DCFS-era numbering..

Agency and rules:idec.illinois.gov ↗idec.illinois.gov ↗dcfs.illinois.gov ↗illinoislegalaid.org ↗

Common triggers. Not a complete list:

  • caring for children below the state's compulsory school age
  • parents drop off and leave
  • before- or after-school care, or full-day hours
  • care in a home rather than a school space
  • the number of unrelated children in your care

Childcare rules can reach school-age children as well as preschoolers, and a microschool that fits a pathway above can still fall under them. Only the agency can tell you whether your program needs a license. Ask them before you open, and confirm with your attorney.

For families

Funding programs

Looking for money to start a school?

Grants and loans that aren't tied to one state, each linked to the funder's own page.

See the national list →

This page lists no state-run scholarship, voucher or education savings account program for Illinois. Check the state education agency for anything new.

Calendar

Where to find Illinois dates and deadlines

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We don't publish filing windows or due dates. A wrong date can cost a school year. These pages set them; check them directly, and again before you file.

Beyond childcare

Other state licensing triggers

Situations that can bring a program under a state approval or licensing rule. Approval rules and forms change; confirm with the agency on the linked page.

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Operating a nonpublic facility that primarily serves students with disabilities (special education schools accepting public-school placements)

23 Ill. Admin. Code Part 401 (Special Education Facilities Under Section 14-7.02 of the School Code)

Approval includes program and fiscal review, per diem tuition rate negotiation with ISBE, and ongoing compliance monitoring.

Amounts, dates, thresholds and licensing status are left to the linked sources.

Read the source:isbe.net ↗isbe.net ↗

Legislation

Law changes in Illinois

Show

Bills the Illinois legislature passed that touch microschools, learning pods or education savings accounts, each read before it is listed. The sections above describe the law as we last verified it; a law listed here may change them.

Our search found no enacted bills on microschools, learning pods or education savings accounts in Illinois. A search can miss things, so this is not a statement that nothing changed.

Bill data from LegiScan LLC, CC BY 4.0. Updated Sep 26, 2026. Every law listed was read before it was listed. Read the act on the legislature's site before you rely on it.

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We email you when a bill we track in Illinois becomes law. Nothing else, and you can stop any time.

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Verification

Sources

Every source this page draws on, split by who published it. Check which group a link is in, and who published it, before you rely on it.

Law and government publications (12)

Government-published — which is not the same as state-published. Most are this state's own code, regulations, agency and legislature pages. Others are federal, and some of those only SUMMARISE this state's rules rather than setting them; a few are city or county government. A summary of the law is not the law, and neither a federal nor a local page is a source of state obligation — so check who published any you rely on.

Supporting sources (3)

News coverage, program directories, advocacy and association publications. Useful context, and listed so you can see what this page drew on — but they are not the law and they are not the state speaking. This list is not mapped claim by claim, so if a specific fact matters to a decision, confirm it against a government source rather than assuming it came from one.

Explore nearby state guides

Founders often compare pathways, funding programs and operator types across nearby or high-demand states before choosing a launch path.

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Browse all 50 states and DC
General information only; not legal advice. The MicroSchool Lab is not a law firm. Consult a licensed attorney in Illinois and the agencies linked above before opening a school. Sources last checked August 26, 2026.
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